My Sister Is Wrong As Expected
by Pokurikwoon
Summary: Hachiman never looked at her this way before. He didn't expect to. But now that he was, what is he going to do about it? *I'll be quickly updating chapters here but they'll all be first drafts. I might make a separate story where the revised editions are published so you guys can see the difference in writing and storytelling.*
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is an idea I've been playing with for a while. And I thought of writing it out. As I've said in the summary, this is the first draft of the story. I barely did any editing on it. I would love to have an editor work with me to polish this story and make it a better read for everyone. If you enjoyed this first chapter, and think you guide me to make it better, please consider messaging me. I'm quite a rookie with writing and I'd really like a second perspective on this story, not just my own.

I was thinking that this could be the folder where I place all first drafts of chapters and I will make another folder where I put better/revised chapters. The reason I wanted this was so that I could quickly publish chapters to further the story, and maybe revise them and show the revised to you all as well, that way you can see kind of my process and how the story changed from the first draft to the revised. What are your thoughts on this, readers?

* * *

 **Chapter I**

 _A Death In The Family_

* * *

It was a small funeral. Based on my experiences at least. Then again, this was the first funeral I ever went to, so maybe my words should be taken with a grain of salt. But really, it did feel quiet small. Apart from my parents, my sister, and myself, there were only seven other guests as the priest was praying for the deceased.

A day ago, my father found out that his childhood friend and her husband got into a car accident. A drunk truck driver – why do the biggest vehicles get the drunkest drivers – smashed them into a wall. Though the couple miraculously survived the accident, they were Dead On Arrival.

My father must've been really close with the woman, because upon hearing the news, he immediately took the entire week off from work. This was a big thing since the funeral was on a Tuesday, almost the beginning of the work week. Since Komachi and I were also in summer break, our father also decided to bring us to the funeral. I didn't know why he made us go since neither of us siblings knew the dead personally.

Being as discreet as possible, I gazed around the area. There were multiple rows of chairs at the funeral, but none, save for the front row, was occupied. Normally only relatives were supposed to be in the front rows, but it appears that the dead didn't have that many, or none at all, of their relatives come to the funeral. All of the guests were around dad's age. I didn't see anyone that could've resembled parents of the dead adults. _Why is that?_

As the priest finished his prayers, the few guests that attended were allowed to place flowers on the bodies of the deceased. Dad handed me and Komachi a pair of bouquets to place on the husband and wife. He silently motioned for us to head to the coffins along with the other guests.

While waiting briefly in line, a young man in a black suit came up to my father and nodded shortly.

"Hikigaya-senpai."

"Tanaka."

The man shook his head and chuckled darkly.

"What a waste, right? Too young... Too soon."

My father merely nodded quietly and moved along as we reached the front of the line.

As the three of us placed the flowers on the dead, I got a good look at the two lovers. The man named Tanaka was right. They looked really young. Teenagers would think mid-thirties was old but it really wasn't. You'd be surprised how many people were actually thirty but looked twenty. It's a shame they died so young. But at least they both looked at peace. Props to the morticians. Dressing up the dead was an art.

Dad stared at the woman for quite some time, still as a statue. I had never seen him look at something with so much suffering. He closed his eyes and shook his head several times. I guess it is shocking to see a friend of yours look so lifeless. So dead...

Without another word, my father walked away from them and back towards our seats. Me and Komachi quietly followed suit and the man named Tanaka went forward to place his flowers and pay his respects.

Komachi slowed down so as to walk beside me.

"Onii-chan… Dad's really upset…"

I nodded.

"Just let him be. Must be hard for him."

Silently we both returned to our seats beside our father. Father stared into nothingness, lost in thought. Not knowing what to do, me and Komachi simply sat there as we watched the few remaining guests pay their respects and return to their seats.

I wondered: Would I ever look as my father did today, when someone I knew died? Frankly, I didn't know this couple, thus I wasn't too depressed at their deaths. Sad yet true. But what if it was one of my classmates? I tried not thinking about it too much since my vivid imagination would probably cause me to morbid thoughts.

* * *

The funeral ended shortly after and the caskets were lifted into Herses to be driven to the Crematorium. After the vehicles were out of sight, the few guests went together and talked gravely.

My father motioned for us to join them, and reluctantly, Komachi and I did.

A slender woman with short black hair looked between my father and us.

"Hikigaya-senpai, your kids?"

My father nodded, and introduced us shortly to the woman and the rest of the guests.

They all nodded in recognition and tried their best to act slightly happy so as not to depress us teenagers.

"We were the classmates of the deceased." The woman explained.

The man named Tanaka piped up matter-of-factly.

"Except for your father. He was two years older than us."

The woman and the rest of the guests nodded in assent quietly. The atmosphere was pretty heavy so one of the adults tried changing the subject. In this case, it was switched to one about school. When I told them I attended Soubu High, they were really impressed.

"I heard Hikigaya-senpai wanted to go there but he wasn't bright enough." A tall, lanky man with slim glasses said.

That made the atmosphere a bit lighter and more cheerful as everyone chuckled, or in the case of the women, giggled, at the comment.

Dad shrugged and attempted to smile, but failed and went with a small grin instead.

"Guess I didn't study much."

The guests chatted a bit more about other lighthearted and non-related things like work and hobbies and soon we became a loose group of people chatting, trying not to talk about the funeral that just took place.

A short, plump man went to father and tried speaking to him discreetly.

"Hikigaya-senpai. What are you going to do about Izumi's last will?"

I tried drowning out their conversation but my enhanced hearing was one of my 108 skills so I really couldn't do that. Izumi was probably the name of the woman, father's childhood friend.

Father must've realized we were too near to him and he eyed us cautiously before pushing the chubby man to another area.

"Not here, Gendo."

"You mean you haven't told your children?" Gendo gasped quietly as he frowned at us.

Father gave us a short glance, signalling that we stay put, as he brought the man named Gendo to a spot a few meters away from us to discuss private matters.

"Dad's quite secretive, huh?" Komachi said.

"It's his business not ours." I said as I watched the guests whisper among themselves, as if they switched to a sensitive topic suddenly.

The man Tanaka came up to us and chatted a bit.

"So! Komachi and Hachiman, correct?"

Komachi was quite the good conversationalist, even with older people, so between the two of us, she kept the conversation going while I talked only when Tanaka-san asked me a question. We mostly talked about school things since we found out Tanaka-san was a professor at Chiba University.

"Um… Tanaka-san, what was my father's relationship with…" Komachi said suddenly.

Tanaka looked surprised and slightly crestfallen that we reverted to talking about the funeral. Nevertheless, he smiled, albeit slightly morose, and fidgeted with his necktie.

"Ah. I guess your father wouldn't really talk about that to you kiddos!"

He said as he hit the heel of his dress shoes on the pavement while ruffling his curly brown hair.

"Well… I wasn't really close with Ishiguro Izumi myself, but I was club mates with your father for a time."

"What club?" I blurted out.

"Lit club." Tanaka-san answered quickly, as if the information was fresh in his memory.

 _Literature Club._

I chuckled slightly, thinking of a younger version of my dad, reading a book in the same position I did. Head being supported by the arm, lazily flipping through the pages with a frown.

 _Looks like reading books runs in the family._

Tanaka-san quietly stood there for a moment, probably reliving those lost moments of youth. Realizing we were still there, he continued with his story.

"Well! All I know for sure is that they visited each other's classrooms a lot. And they studied together. Ishiguro-chan was a lot smarter than you father so during those times in the library she'd be the one to tutor him. It was funny seeing a first year get frustrated at a third year for not understanding Math."

Komachi and I shared a brief look, smirking at each other. Now we both had some dirt on Dad in case he refused us something.

"What else, Tanaka-san?" Komachi insisted.

He frowned in thought, trying to think of more stuff to say.

"Well… This is all gossip from the girls in my class but apparently they were a couple back then?"

Of course they would've thought that. It's normal for teenage girls to think about that kind of thing when people of the opposite sex are always in close proximity with one another. Oops. I generalized girls. I can feel the triggered people coming! So scratch that. It's normal for teenagers to think that stuff. There I fixed it. Now don't lynch me!

Tanaka apologetically waved his hand and shook his head.

"But those are just rumors! You have to ask him if you want to know the truth."

"Ask me what?"

It appears that Dad had finished talking with Gendo and had come back to us.

 _Shit. Dad doesn't like it when we talk about him behind his back!_

As I – and probably Komachi as well – thought of ways to look innocent, Tanaka-san intervened.

He chuckled and patted my father on the back.

"I said they should ask you if they wanted to know the truth about the hectic university life in Chiba U."

Tanaka-sama! Savior!

Dad stood and stared at us quizzically with a raised eyebrow.

"Well… That's for another time. We must be going."

Not long after, the three of us said our goodbyes to the guests – all of them were still there – and went our way to the parking lot.

The woman with the short black hair shouted at father from a distance.

"Hikigaya-senpai! We're going to that restaurant down the street in a while. Care to come with?"

Dad waved back and apologetically declined the offer. Although disappointed, they let the three of us get on our way. I wondered why anyone would decide to socialize at a time like this. After a funeral. I personally would've preferred to be alone, left to my thoughts. But then again, everyone had their own ways to deal with sadness and sorrow.

* * *

The ride home was quiet. I was in the passenger seat beside father as Komachi lay down in the back and slept. I silently stared at the long winding river below as we drove over the bridge me and Hiratsuka-sensei met at one time during the first semester. I watched as the sun shone brightly in the blue sky. It seemed to shine much brighter before a sunset.

"Hachiman."

Upon hearing my name, I turned my head to stare at my dad

He was frowning as he steered the wheel.

"I… Uh… The woman who died. She was a close friend of mine."

I nodded.

"Yeah. Mom told me." It was true. My father only told us that we were going to a funeral of a schoolmate. It was actually mom who told us that it was a close friend of father that died. She was also the one who told us about how it happened.

"The thing is. She made me the godfather of her child."

I processed his words quickly and responded.

"All their relatives are gone?" Surely, godparents were the last resort. After all, it'd be better for a kid to stay with at least the grandparents or other relatives. So it must mean they were all... Dead?

Dad shook his head as he switched the car's gears, preparing to make a halt.

"It's complicated but she can't go to any of her relatives. Ishiguro asked me to take care of her if anything happened to her and her husband." Father explained as the car stopped at a red light.

Well, I didn't to dig into others' personal matters and I wasn't really against a kid coming to join us. We actually had a guest room at home in case a relative or a friend of mom or dad showed up – which was almost never. It'd be cool to actually have a younger brother. We could play catch or something, especially if he was so young that he couldn't think bad of his loner older brother. Heck, maybe he could call me Aniki! So I gave dad the answer he probably wanted to hear.

"I'd be fine with that, if you're asking me." I said nonchalantly. "Komachi too, probably."

Dad nodded as he fiddled with the steering wheel, watching the multitude of commuters on the pedestrian lane walking in front of our car.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Wouldn't mind going home to a louder house." I said, with a grin. "Besides. It's not like we can't accept your childhood friend's last will."

My dad smiled at that.

"I'm glad you're open to this."

He saw the light turn green and began driving the car once more.

* * *

We arrived home a short while after. Dad said he still had some errands to do so I woke Komachi and hedropped us off in front of the house.

Before dad could leave, I went up to the passenger window, laid my arms on the open window, and spoke.

"Why did you ask me if I was okay with that?"

Dad shrugged sheepishly. Though he still looked pretty sad, he seemed at least a little happier than during the funeral.

"My son's opinion is important to me…"

"…Sometimes." He added as he winked and drove away.

Komachi yelled at me from the front door, telling me to open the door already.

Ignoring her for a bit, I stood on the sidewalk, watching our car turn a corner and vanish from sight.

Komachi yelled at me again.

"I don't have a key~" I joked.

"Eh!?" Komachi shouted followed by whining and pouting.

 _Well, being gullible is a form of cuteness as well. I wonder if Ishiguro-san's child would be fun to joke with as well. Maybe they'd be a killjoy._

Pushing those thoughts away for now, I walked up the stairs to Komachi. As I used the key on the door, while Komachi was lightly punching my arm for tricking her, those thoughts came back and I again began to wonder what it would be like to have another sibling apart from Komachi. And how much life would be different with another soul in the house.

* * *

Mom got home early today as I was preparing dinner and Komachi was watching some mainstream anime on the television in the living room.

Mom got into some home clothes and helped me with the cooking. She even suggested that I leave everything to her and relax or something. Though I would've liked to just laze around, mom was probably tired from working all morning and afternoon, so I didn't want her to doing all this housework by herself. I even told her I could cook everything myself, but she did say she had to cook Dad's favorite meal.

"I could cook it." I offered.

She shook her head.

"It's a secret recipe only I could use."

I shrugged in defeat. If she was willing to do it, I saw no point in stopping her. Besides, at least I didn't have to work so much. I mean, though I did want to be a house husband - Yes, that's still my dream - I didn't want extra work if I could refuse it.

Together mom and I cooked in silence. As I was frying the fish, thoughts about the funeral drifted into my mind. I thought about why there were only a few people who attended. I thought about what Tanaka-san said about dad and that woman, Ishiguro Izumi. Then I wondered about her kid. And I realized, I didn't know who that kid was. It dawned on me that I didn't know how old they were, or even whether they were a boy or a girl! _What would happen if it was an 18-year-old boy? My Komachi! I must protect her!_

I could've just ignored it and waited until I met the person, since, after all, it was already set in stone that he or she would be living with us. There was no point in scaring or worrying myself now. What's done is done. But still, I was curious. I thought of asking dad but he was probably busy. So I thought of asking mom since she'd probably know as well.

"Hey, mom. When's Ishiguro-san's kid coming to live with us?" I asked nonchalantly.

My mom dropped the spoon she was holding.

"W-what did you say, Hachiman?" She stuttered, mouth open with a look of great disbelief.

 _She didn't know!? Didn't dad tell her? Why didn't dad tell me that he didn't tell her!?_

I flipped the fish over in the frying pan as I spoke, trying to think of a way to lessen her shock.

"Uh… I was wondering who Ishiguro's kid was."

I gulped.

"Because dad said they'll be living with us."

At that moment, the door bell rang three times. Three times meant Dad was home. Mom and I stared at each other, we didn't notice the car pulling up in the drive way.

"I'll get it~!" Komachi sang as she jumped from the couch and towards the door.

Leaving the pan sizzling on the counter, mom and I made our way from the kitchen, through the living room, and towards the front door.

Komachi was in front of us, blocking our view from the newcomers. She looked back at me and mom, giving us a puzzled smile as she made way for the two people at the entrance.

It was dad. And beside him, was a teenage girl, somewhere between my and Komachi's age, with long amber hair, and dark brown eyes.

She looked at us with a bright smile and sparkling, loving eyes and bowed deep towards us.

"Good evening! I'm Asuka Ishiguro. I'll be in your care."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Those issues of Batman messed me up real good. I'm glad my uncle lent me them...

Anyhow, I hope you didn't hate me for that clickbait... Looking at you, "Incest is Wincest" folks out there. ;)

On a more critical note, if any of you have extensive knowledge of Japanese Funerals, please message me. I only did so much research on the topic so I couldn't really make the even too specific. So with your help, I might be able to revise this chapter and make it have more imagery or culturally correct.

* * *

Follow Me On Twitter For Daily Updates On My Works!

RealPokuri


	2. Chapter 2

Follow Me On Twitter For Daily Updates On My Works!

RealPokuri

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Boom! Another chapter within 24 hours! I'm on a roll! Thanks so much for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! Really inspires me to come out with new content quickly. It seems like you guys are fine with just this version of the story so I'll be keeping it like this, publishing chapters with only minor editing. We'll see how the story goes from here on out lol. I hope you take the time to review, since your opinions and comments about the story matter very much to me.

* * *

 **Chapter II**

 _Okaeri_

* * *

Thanks, author-san. You just made my life into a cliché shojo manga. I'm sure the readers will enjoy this. Not.

Mom, Komachi, and I watched as dad and this girl, Asuka Ishiguro, entered the house, closing the door behind them.

"Uh… Dad?" Komachi asked, her head whipping going back and forth between dad and the new girl.

"Dear…?" Mom asked, with her arms crossed.

Asuka Ishiguro gazed at each of us with her shining dark brown eyes as she continued smiling affectionately while dad introduced everyone to her.

 _Looks like tonight will be a long night._

* * *

Since I was the only one who knew previously about what dad did, I was left alone to finish cooking the fish and the rest of the meal while everyone else came into the living room to talk about the new addition to our family.

The living room wasn't separated from the kitchen, which meant I should've been able to overhear the discussion, but the sizzling of the frying pan drowned out my dad's words. This was totally fine with me since I didn't want to hear their discussion anyway. I relished cooking every piece of fish and meat like it was the calm before the storm. After all, dinner would probably feel awkward with the sudden entrance of Asuka Ishiguro. Heck, I even tried slowing down the cooking process by cutting up the meat as slowly as I could. _Y'all can starve yourselves for a while. I want to enjoy some peace and quiet._

But then again, the situation wasn't so bad. Asuka Ishiguro seemed harmless enough. I mean, any kid was better than an 18-year-old male who could easily knock me out and make fun of Komachi. I could keep this Ishiguro-san in check. What really made me worry was her attitude. Her parents had just died. She was going to live with strangers. How could she have such a bright smile on her face at a time like this? _Unless…_

"Excuse me, Hachiman-kun?"

Briefly distracted from my cooking, I stared at the intruder of my peaceful activity.

Asuka Ishiguro stood by the kitchen counter, watching me with wonderment.

"Ishiguro-san. Are they done talking?"

She shook her head and carefully made her way around the counter and stood beside me.

"Nah. Dad just wanted me to keep you company. And things were getting pretty heated with your mom since I came so suddenly." She said meekly.

I winced upon hearing her say the word "dad" as if she was really a blood-related sibling.

"Want me to help cook?" She asked, shyly poking me on the shoulder, not realizing my negative reaction from before.

I shook my head.

"This is your first meal here. I think you should be relaxing, Ishiguro-san."

"Call me Asuka." She piped up as she sat on the stone counter.

 _Wow. She's only been here half an hour and she's already made herself home._

"We are going to be sharing the same name soon so it'd be weird for you to call me by my mother's name." She continues as she clutched the edges of the counter for support.

I looked at her questioningly as I placed the cooked fish on a plate.

She nodded a matter-of-factly.

"Y'know. Asuka Hikigaya. Dad talked to my mom's lawyer, Gendo Sato. They'll have the papers fixed soon."

Again, I frowned at her usage of the word 'dad'. It somehow didn't feel right for a complete stranger to be suddenly calling my dad… Dad.

Luckily, she didn't show any signs of noticing my negative reaction so she kept talking.

"I heard you go to Soubu." She said with admiration.

I nodded. Every time my being a Soubu student was brought up, people always looked at me like that. Relatives and family friends. I guess even if you anti-social, people would still hold you up on some pedestal thanks to your education standard.

"I'll be transferring there after summer vacation. So I'll be in your care, Hachiman-kun!" She said, beaming at me, tilting her head to the side.

"S-sure." Never has anyone said my name so many times apart from my family. It felt weird, hearing her say my name as if we were family. But then again, I guess she is family…

"Wow. So you can cook?" Asuka said.

"When my parents aren't around I do the cooking, and they aren't around a lot."

"I bet you're really good!" She complimented.

My face heated up at that. I was rarely complimented on my cooking – or at all for that matter –so hearing those words made me feel a warm and fuzzy inside.

I shrugged at her.

"I'm decent."

Soon afterwards, finished cooking the food and turned off the stove. I removed the apron I was wearing and replaced it on the hanger of the refrigerator.

Asuka, dropped from the kitchen counter, stood and helped me get plates and utensils from the cabinet. Though I wanted to stop her, she seemed really insistent on doing this much so I let her be.

As I was reaching for the chopsticks, she came lose to me and whispered.

"Can I call you onii-chan…?"

That made me jerk away from her a bit. No one in this world ever called me 'onii-chan' except for Komachi. The idea must've been so foreign to me.

I gaped at her, chopsticks and plates in my hands.

"W-what?" I stuttered.

She wasn't smiling anymore. With a worried expression, she darted her eyes all over the ground as she faltered.

"C-can I c-call yo-"

"Onii-chan! Aren't you done cooking!?"

Komachi and my parents, finally done with their discussion, came into the dining room. Komachi and dad were both beaming and happy while my mother, though had a small smile on her face, remained slightly agitated and worried. It seemed that the discussion didn't go perfectly well…

I told them I was going to bring the food and plates with Asuka as I handed her some of the utensils to carry.

She looked embarrassed as she took the plates into her hands.

"We can talk later." I assured her. Honestly. This wasn't the time to be asking questions like this.

As if a switch flipped inside her, Asuka reverted back to her glowing, chirpy self. The image of her embarrassment or anxiety vanished without a trace.

"Never mind." She said, shaking her head as she turned her back to me and walked towards my family with the plates and chopsticks.

Though disturbed by her sudden change in personality, I thought it wasn't the time to think about these things, so I followed her with our meal.

* * *

Komachi, dad, and Asuka seemed to be having a great time at dinner. They were talking happily among one other. Even I had to admit it was somewhat enjoyable to see how lively the table was thanks to Asuka's arrival. Before, Komachi was the only one who wanted to constantly talk at the dinner table and though my parents would amuse her, they didn't really talk too much. Especially my dad, who mostly ate in silence during meals. So it was a different experience to see him even initiating conversation.

Mom and I on the other hand were quietly eating our dinner and only speaking when talked to.

Luckily, our table was meant to accommodate six people so there wasn't much problem with the dinner scene. My parents sat across one another while Komachi and Asuka occupied one side, and I on the other.

I eyed each one of them stealthily. Komachi and dad seemed really relaxed and were trying their best to open up to Asuka. And speaking of her, it was quite curious how she didn't show any signs of the awkwardness she showed me earlier in the kitchen. As if she could don a mask of joy anytime she needed to. Mom, on the other hand, couldn't fake her smile so well. She seemed troubled as she ate. Her gaze sometimes landed on Asuka, and when it did, mom looked at her apprehensively. But wasn't one to ask mom about personal troubles, so unless she volunteered the information, I wasn't going to interrogate her about it.

As their conversation turned to house plans, I found myself thinking about my conversation with Asuka in the kitchen. I had totally messed up there. She was trying to open herself up to me, and I wasn't reacting properly. I shuddered when she said the word 'dad' and I didn't respond to her question about calling me 'onii-chan'. She probably already thinks I don't like her, which wasn't that true since I barely knew her. I had to do something to make it clear that I was just not used to this predicament.

After dinner, mom volunteered to clean up the table while dad told us to show Asuka her room.

"It isn't much right now, Asuka, dear, but it'll have to do. We can get more furniture like study tables or closets when we go shopping again tomorrow." Dad said apologetically.

Asuka blushed at that and bowed deeply.

"N-no! I'm very grateful for everything you've done for me!"

My dad suddenly stopped smiling for a while.

"I-It's the least I could do…" He trailed away, probably thinking about the funeral from earlier.

Before the atmosphere could get awkward, Komachi bounced and grabbed Asuka by the hand.

"C'mon! Your room's up there! Then we can go to my room!" She giggled as she led Asuka up the stairs. Asuka let Komachi drag her up the second floor and soon I was alone with my dad.

"How is she?"

Perhaps he told her to accompany me in the kitchen so that I could somewhat assess her emotional stability through the eyes of a teenager? After all, though teenagers seem to be isolating themselves from one another, our species seemed to have a weird connection that let us somehow get a sense of what another was feeling. It wasn't perfect but it was something. And it was something adults didn't have. So I relayed some of my general findings to him.

"She doesn't seem fine, but she's doing her best to act the part I guess."

He nodded.

"She hid in her room during the funeral… Probably to calm herself down and to internalize the fact that she was going to be living with perfect strangers soon." He murmured. "What'd you two talk about?"

Though I would've been fine telling my dad the entire truth, I knew Asuka wouldn't want to worry him so much so I spoke carefully.

"She asked whether she could help cook. And she asked me to take care of her when she enters Soubu."

My dad nodded and did not prod any further.

"Just watch out for her like you do with Komachi."

I nodded, but I knew I would have a hard time doing that. She wasn't Komachi. She was different from her. The differences may not be evident now, but I felt that soon they would surface. But since she was a part of the family now, I knew I had to take care of her in a similar way. A brotherly way.

As my mother finished cleaning the table she placed two cups of coffee on the table, one for dad and one for her. They looked like they still had something to discuss so I left the dining room to follow the new sisters upstairs.

* * *

I reached the door of the guest room that would be Asuka's and I heard Komachi talking through the slightly ajar door.

I didn't want to eavesdrop too much but I was curious about their relationship when no one else was around, so I listened a bit.

At least they seemed to be one positive terms. They were talking about what furniture Asuka should put in the room when she gets the chance. Though I could hear the slightly forced way Komachi was trying to keep the conversation going since Asuka was giving short, close-ended answers. Not before long, the topic switched from furniture to me.

"So! What do you think of my Gomi-chan!"

"Huh? Trash? Why would you call your brother that?"

Komachi snickered a bit.

"That's one of my nicknames for him! Cute isn't it?"

I heard Asuka hesitate before half-heartedly agreeing with Komachi.

"You could call him that too!" Komachi suggested.

"I don't think he's gross though." Asuka said.

There was a brief silence between them before Komachi replied.

"O-of course not! It's just a cutesy stuff. Nothing serious! He'll like it."

"Don't you think that's rude to your brother? Even as a joke?" Asuka said, openly opposing Komachi's statement.

This took Komachi aback as she couldn't reply at first.

"Uh…? No. It's not!" I heard the confidence in Komachi's voice falter. "It's what siblings do. We joke and tease." She explained.

"I've never had any siblings so I don't know how those relationships go." Asuka apologized.

I heard Komachi lightly patting Asuka, probably on the shoulder, as she awkwardly tried to reassure her.

"You, uh, you'll get used to it soon~!"

It seemed that Asuka didn't know how to respond to that so the two became silent. I took this as a signal to enter so I went in before anything more awkward happened.

"So how's the room suiting you?" I asked as I stepped towards the two of them.

Some awkwardness still lingered so their initial responses were quite subdued.

"Looks great." _Wasn't asking you, Komachi._

"G-great! I like how big it is." Asuka answered while she averted gazing at me and did her best to be interested at the ceiling.

I nodded. Our house wasn't small, but it was no mansion either. I guess you could say the size is just right. Especially the rooms. They were pretty spacious and could hold a lot of stuff. I would know since during elementary school I filled mine with boxes of cosplay stuff and still it didn't make me feel claustrophobic.

Komachi seemed to have recovered from the awkwardness of a while ago and wanted to show Asuka her room. Though this time, she didn't grab Asuka by the hand. She only motioned for her to follow her.

"Sure, Komachi-chan! Maybe I can even look at Hachiman-kun's room too." Asuka said laughing warmly, now doing her best to vanquish what's left of the awkward atmosphere.

Komachi stuck her tongue out at me and shook her head at Asuka.

"You don't want to see his room! It's all messy."

"Oi! I clean up every weekend." I argued.

That was my test to myself to show my determination to become a house husband, after all! I told myself that if I ever needed to clean more than an hour, I wouldn't be fit to become a house husband. To become a house husband, you need not do extravagant cleaning once a month or once every six months! You needed to constantly clean every day or week, to make it a habit. In my case, I cleaned every Saturday for half an hour!

Asuka giggled at our argument.

"We definitely have to look at it now!" She said as she eyed me, waiting for my answer.

I crossed my arms and smirked at Komachi.

"Sure. Maybe we should even _bet_ on it."

Komachi pouted at me.

"No uh. I know you clean every weekend!"

Laughing at my victory, I sniggered at Komachi as we went to the other rooms to give Asuka a short tour of the house.

This wasn't so bad. Asuka seemed nice enough. I could treat her like a real sister, I guess. After all, she had nowhere else to go. The least I could do is be nice to her. Nevertheless, I felt like she was still hiding a lot of things from us. So I knew I had to also help in opening her shell.

* * *

After we had given Asuka a tour around the house, we headed back down towards our parents who were still on the dinner table drinking coffee. It seemed they were arguing before but whatever they were arguing about, it seemed they decided to call it off for tonight.

Dad smiled at us, looking a tad bit more tired than a while ago.

"So, how'd it go?"

Komachi was the first to speak.

"We showed her our rooms! When can we go shopping for Asuka's stuff, dad?"

Dad patted Komachi's head affectionately as he spoke.

"First thing in the morning! You can come with us if you want?"

While Komachi, dad, and Asuka began talking about what furniture they could get, I stole a glance at my mom who was busy sipping her coffee and staring at Asuka, as though she was a bomb that would go off. Mom was wary around her.

Before anyone could bring me into a conversation, I walked towards the refrigerator, got myself a can of Maxx Coffee, and just stood there by the counter drinking it. I felt really exhausted. It was probably because of Asuka and the new chemical reactions she produced from all of us. I guess the change in the household just took me for a loop.

I heard I soft purr as Kamakura ninja crawled to my feet and rubbed his head on my leg.

"You were hiding all this time, huh?"

Kamakura responded by nibbling softly on my feet. As soon as I finished my drink, I decided to go back to the dining room and to my family. Kamakura, bored as always, decided to tag along.

I spotted dad, mom, and Asuka sitting together at the dinner table. Komachi was nowhere to be found.

My mom was the first to spot me and spoke.

"Hachiman, would you mind going to your room? Komachi's in hers as well."

I glanced at dad and with the same tired expression, he nodded in agreement.

Asuka glanced at me with a deadpan look, no emotion, and her eyes fell to Kamakura, crawling towards her.

Immediately, her poker face cracked . Her eyes widened and she yelped.

Mom and dad were shocked and stood up, wondering what could've caused her to scream. Meanwhile, Asuka scrambled out of her chair and took multiple backwards steps from Kamakura, who was still advancing.

She crossed her arms and grabbed her shoulders and verbally winced at the sight of Kamakura. She looked at the feline with a mix of hate, fear, and sorrow. As if it reminded her of a traumatic past.

Kamakura stared at her quizzically and meowed.

"GET IT AWAY FROM ME…"

Before Kamakura could advance any further I snatched him up into my arms. Though he seemed surprised, he didn't resist.

Both my mom and dad went over to Asuka to console her. Even my mom, who seemed disapproving of her, couldn't stay skeptical when the girl was at the point of breaking down and crying. Dad tore his gaze from Asuka to look at me and point to the stairs.

"Hachiman. Just go for now. Take Kamakura with you."

I secured my grip on Kamakura so he wouldn't get away and made my way up the stairs at a brisk pace, leaving my parents watching over the crumpling Asuka.

* * *

As I got up the stairs, I saw Komachi sticking her head out from inside her room.

"What happened with Asuka-chan?" She asked worriedly.

I exhaled with a grim frown.

"Doesn't like cats." I said bluntly.

"I can take Kama-chan with me." She offered, as she came out of her room to the hallway towards me.

I presented Kamakura for her to take. Though the feline and I were on good terms, he didn't like staying in my room much. Actually, he never went into my room before, which was strange now that I think about it. I'm sure I didn't smell that bad… He preferred staying in the living room or in my parents' room. But of course, he didn't mind staying with Komachi occasionally.

Komachi looked as if she wanted to take a peek downstairs but decided against it.

"I'll be heading in now, Onii-chan…" She said glumly, while caressing the top of Kamakura's head.

I gave her a quick thumbs up as I watched her return to her room and lock the door with a soft _click_.

* * *

It had been about an hour since Asuka's outburst, I thought as I lay on my bed playing a JRPG on my console. I wondered what was going on downstairs and if my parents were still trying to console her. I thought about why she was so afraid of Kamakura. It wasn't good that he hid the entire day and suddenly appeared in front of her like that, crawling and all. I wondered whether she was only afraid of cats or if her fear included other animals.

Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep with my console running –damn – and before I knew it, someone was knocking on my door, waking me from my slumber. My dad appeared by the open doorframe.

"Did I wake you?" He said as he walked towards my bed.

I sat up to give him some space.

"Yeah but its fine."

Dad nodded apologetically as he sat down beside me. He sighed a bit.

"Asuka's sleeping in her room now."

I quietly stared at my dad, who seemed all the more exhausted.

"Let's just say… For reasons… Your mother isn't really keen on letting her live with us."

"What reasons?"

"…She said it was hard enough trying to make time for you and Komachi… Among other things…"

That was true. Both my parents were corporate workers and for some weird reason, they seemed to work overtime a lot. Most of the time it was just me and Komachi at dinner. But when we were together, I knew my parents were doing their best to make up for the lost time. At least, for Komachi's sake. As the elder son, they thought I could handle myself fine and that I would understand their situation.

"Hachiman. Could you look after Asuka?" Dad said suddenly.

It took me awhile to process this and I didn't respond instantly.

"I can try. But if she doesn't want me to, I shouldn't force myself on her."

He shook his head sadly.

"Your mother and I, we won't be home much for Asuka. I can sense she doesn't feel like she belongs. I only have this week to make he feel at home with us before my normal schedule is forced back on me." He let out and added. "And I doubt that's enough time… Which is why you're the only one I can turn to. Komachi's too young to understand what I mean."

"I'll watch over her like I do with Komachi. Maybe even more." I offered, though I thought I wouldn't be able to deliver.

He looked at me with thankful eyes as he patted my shoulder – a bit too hard for my taste.

"I'm grateful, Hachiman. Think of this as a request from you father."

Though the atmosphere was heavy, I grinned at the word. Who knew requests would find me, even at home?

"I wish we could talk a little more but your mother is waiting for me…" He said exasperated, staring at the direction of their bedroom.

"We could talk some other time." I suggested, with a yawn.

Dad nodded at that as he stood up.

"Sorry for bothering you. I'll let you rest now."

I stood up to escort him out the room. Before he could leave I spoke up.

"Hey, dad."

He stopped and looked at me, puzzled.

"It'll work out."

Though he didn't look 100% convinced, he nodded and left without another word.

As I closed the door after him, I thought about the events of today. It fascinated me how the sadness of a funeral could make family bonds, at least somewhat, stronger. Though I didn't want to feel happy that dad's friend died, I felt glad that through a sad event like that, we got to relate a bit more. Even if it was just a little bit.

* * *

After my talk with dad, I slept like a rock the moment I fell back to my bed. I guess I too was exhausted by the chain of events during the day.

But it didn't take long until I suddenly woke up for no good reason in the middle of the night. I picked up my phone, and looked at the night mode clock that didn't cause people to go blind upon staring at the screen.

1:47 A. M.

Though I wanted to go back to sleep, I felt the need to use the bathroom. Pissed off that I had to leave the comfort of my soft bed, I swore quietly and walking like a zombie, made my way to the bathroom.

As I walked through the hallway, I passed by Asuka's room. The door wasn't closed properly. The lights were shut and though I wanted to either take a look inside or close the door itself, the sudden urgency to use the bathroom caused me to ignore it for now.

While in the bathroom, I thought about my father's words. _"Look after her"._ That probably meant I should take care of her more than I do with Komachi, at least until she felt like she belonged. Should I spend more time with her, making sure she felt we were truly siblings? These were some of the thoughts that ran through my mind as nearly fell asleep in the bathroom.

After my business, I walked back through the dark hallway towards my room. I saw that Asuka's door was still ajar. Before heading back, I went to close it.

I crept towards the door, hoping not to wake her up. But I realized it was useless since she wasn't asleep in the first place. My ears caught the sound of muffled sobs as I had my hand on the cold doorknob. I couldn't resist the temptation and peered into the room.

Asuka was almost completely covered under a white blanket, save for her head, which lay face first on the pillow. Her long, brown hair was messy and tangled, and drooped over her white pillow. I saw her slender hands clutching onto the pillow as she was murmuring something.

My curiosity getting the best of me, I focused on making my ears decipher those muffled words she spoke. It took a while but luckily, or unluckily for this matter, she seemed to be repeating the same phrases over and over. Her weak, cracking voice, and her words sent a cold chill through my body.

"No one wants me…"

"No one needs me…"

"No one wants me…"

"No one needs me…"

"No one wants me…"

"No one needs me…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author' Note:** The current summary for this story is absolute crap. If any of you are willing to give your own summaries that I can use, please feel free to message it to me. If I use it, I promise I'll give you credit. ;)

Someone said something about Asuka looking like Iroha, so I've updated the story cover with a picture I found on the web. If you have to imagine Asuka's physical traits, the girl in the photo is a prime example.

Also, shoutout to Teuton and Wildarms13 whose reviews made me ponder a lot about the plot and characters. This story could've gone down a completely different path if I had not read your reviews. Maybe it'll become worse now. (jk lmao) :P

If it gets bad, don't blame them. Blame this cringy author right here.

Please read the announcement I have written on the bottom of this chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter III**

 _Through various means, I attempt to break this shell of hers_

* * *

Something soft was poking my cheek, nudging it persistently. I turned to my side and covered my face with the blanket, trying to ignore whatever it was that sought out my attention. I had hoped it would just disappear.

Then I felt something soft lay beside me. Something warm. Something human.

"Hachiman-kun~" Whispered a voice, as the sheets were pulled away from my face.

Defense systems kicking into overdrive, my eyes open and I abruptly sat up and backed away from the direction of the voice.

Asuka was on on my bed, looking at me with bright, adoring eyes. Her bed hair, sticking out in funny directions was absolutely adorable. _What am I thinking!?_

The view from my window told me it was early morning, the dark, yet slowly lighting up sky indicated it was perhaps half an hour before sunrise. My heart began to race because of the excitement of the situation. The bad type of excitement.

"W-what are you doing, Asuka?" I asked, dumbfounded.

She sat upright on the bed, her arms supporting her. She tilted her head and stared at me seductively.

"I was lonely in bed~"

Then she began crawling towards me, a sly pout on her face, as if I was the one being incosiderate in this situation. Her loose shirt revealed a parts of her I really didn't want to see.

I slowly backed away from her, trying not to stare at her womanly parts.

"Y-you n-need to leave!" I hissed at her, sweat materializing on my forehead as I began to grow hot.

She pushed me to the corner, sat on my lap –which caused me to blush furiously– , and delicately wrapped her arms around my neck.

Though I tried to push her away, my body would not respond to the signals my brain were giving. My body refused to listen to my desparate pleas.

"If anyone sees us in this position, it'll be bad!" I said hoarsely.

Slowly she brushed my cheek with hers and whispered in my ear.

"No one else is awake~"

"We're siblings! We can't do this!" I shot back quickly, as her sweet scent and her body heat mixed with mine, causing me to heat up even more.

"Not by blood~" She said as she gently cupped my face with her hands and began caressing me. She traced my jaw with her forefinger which caused my heart to jump out of my chest.

Gingerly, she started to brush her soft, warm lips on my ear.

At this point I felt myself burn up. I had been trying my best not to be aroused but her ever intensifying actions proved that my attempts were futile. All the heat rose up to my face, the tingling sensation of her lips on my ears started to arouse me.

Her lips found mine as she smothered me with wet, sweet kisses. I tried yet again to resist and push her away. But before I realized, I had began returning her kisses as well. I couldn't pull away, even though I knew this wasn't right. It was addicting, this activity I had never experienced before. I placed a hand on her waist, feeling her curves and another behind her head, combing her soft, silky hair.

In between kisses, she gasped for air and moaned as my lips made their way to her neck.

"Please… Tell me…" She whispered in my ear.

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me you want me."

Suddenly, the image of her lying face first on the bed, clutching the pillow and sobbing, flashed into my mind, terrifying me. All the warmth drained from my body as it was replaced with an ice-cold feeling of fear. I separated my lips from hers.

"W-what?" I asked, hoping I had just misheard.

She stared at me, but her eyes were no longer warm and loving. Her brown eyes showed no emotion. No life. No soul.

"Tell me you need me…" She whispered. Her voice so mechanical, so cold. Devoid of all the warmth and sultriness she had a few moments ago.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words would come out.

She removed her arms from my neck and began holding her own arms, as if cradling herself for protection and from fear.

"T-tell me y-you want me." Her voice faltered with pain, yet it was still sounded so mechanical.

"Tell me you need me!" She averted her gaze and stared downwards as she began to raise her voice.

"Tell me you want me!" She repeated those phrases, as if it were recordings set on repeat.

"Tell me you NEED me!" She began screaming as she pushed me down, leaned over me and grabbed my shirt.

"Tell me you WANT me!" She said as her tears began dripping down her cheeks and onto my face.

"TELL ME YOU NEED ME!"

* * *

I woke up in a cold sweat, heart pounding, and gasping for air. Her voice was gone, though I still felt a ringing in my ears.

Outside my window was a bright sun, shining brightly in the sky. I heard the chirping of birds and the sound of the wind rustling the trees. All was calm. All was normal.

 _Just… A dream?_

It took me a while to calm myself down and to reassure myself that all of the previous events had been all in my head. That we really didn't do anything intimate like kissing. It was impossible for it to be real.

But then I realized, if I had dreamed those events, then it meant that in my head were perverted thoughts of Asuka… Mortified, I slammed my face into the pillow and screamed into the soft material.

"I'm a pervert!" I wailed as I punched the bed countless times.

I've heard adults and scientists say that your dreams are your thoughts. If that was true, it meant I had thought of Asuka as more than just a it because of the fact that we weren't actually blood-related that I had those subconcious delusions? I've had fantasies like this before about different girls in my class, especially during my middle school, but never had I thought it was disgusting until I this moment.

After all, it normal for people to fantasize about desires they would never acquire. But to think of one's soon-to-be sister, as a potential lover, that was truly despicable!

With these disgusting revelations in my head, I continued to pound and scream into the pillow.

"Onii…Chan?"

Like a light being switched off, I suddenly stopped screaming, jerked my head from the pillow and sat up at attention towards the visitor. I tried wiping off any sign of panic on my face.

Komachi was standing there in her pajamas, gaping at me with surprise and curiosity. She had obviously seen me thrashing on the bed, but lucky for me, she didn't seem to know why. She looked at me for an answer.

Normally, I could have easily weaseled my way out of situations like this by saying something witty, but I couldn't think properly because the image of Asuka on my lap kept flashing in and out of my vision.

"Uh. Your brother is just frustrated because he doesn't know why he can't get a girlfriend."

…

 _Judges' scores are in. That's a 0, 0, and a 0. Congratulations Hikigaya Hachiman. You have been awarded the "Worst Liar of the Chapter" award._

Komachi looked at me with a poker face for some time. She probably didn't believe in that pathetic excuse I just gave. Just when I thought I had been found out she gave me a wide grin.

"Don't worry, onii-chan! If no one will take you, I will!" She said with a toothy smile and a wink. "Ah! That scored me a ton of Komachi points!" She added, as she stuck her tongue out at me.

"Eheheh. Yeah…" I said sheepishly and awkwardly chuckled.

"Breakfast is ready! Dad wants to know if you want to go to the mall with us." She said and left the room, not waiting for my response.

After she closed my door and I heard her steps fade down the stairs, I slumped back into my bed, already tired. This time, I even opted to remain silent.

Scientists say you lose around 90% of the memories of your dreams after two hours of waking. I hope Science is right on that one because I didn't want to have the image of Asuka and myself kissing burned into my memory forever. I wouldn't be able to act normal around her if I did…

* * *

Once I had calmed myself, I went down to the dining room. As I reached the landing, I saw my dad and Komachi sitting at the table, eating together. Dad seemed more upbeat and energetic today as he acknowledged my presence with a short nod while drinking coffee. Komachi was too busy spreading starwberry jam on her toast to greet me.

I noticed that apart from her, the other women in the family were missing.

Mom was probably at work already since she had switched to the morning shift for the entire month. Normally she'd be in the night shift since it payed more, but apparently her boss wanted her to supervise some new employees working on the morning shift. Asuka, on the other hand, was probably just still in bed.

"Onii-chan! Wake up Asuka-chan would you?" Komachi her voice muffled by the piece of toast in her mouth.

"Ha? Why didn't you wake her up?" I grumbled, ticked off that I had to go back upstairs just after I had just gotten here.

Komachi knocked herself on the head cutely like she usually did when she made a mistake.

"I forgot to~!"

Dad stopped sipping on his coffee and spoke in all honesty.

"It isn't good if she doesn't eat breakfast on time." He contemplated.

I frowned at Komachi as I grudgingly accepted my fate and made my way back. Before climbing the stairs, I stuck my tongue out at Komachi to show her I wasn't really angry, since she was bad at reading sarcasm and might think I was legitimately angry at her.

I noticed that Komachi looked slightly relieved as I was leaving. When she had seen me looking, her expression changed to unease then quickly to a playful snicker.

 _Strange. Was she relieved that I was leaving or that she didn't have to wake up Asuka?_

We were on good terms so I don't see why Komachi would be relieved at me staying away from her. And besides, if she didn't want to be around me, why'd she wake me up? The logical conclusion was that she didn't want to be around Asuka. But why didn't she want to be around her? Though they had some awkward moments, they seemed to be on fairly good terms as well.

 _She's probably just freaked out that she has a new sister so suddenly… She'll get used to it._

I thought as I made my way up the stairs.

* * *

I reached Asuka's room and I immediately noticed the door which was still ajar. After I had seen her crying last night, I didn't want to let her know that I saw her doing what she did, so I had left the door open and snuck back into my room quietly. It would've been bad if she found out about my eavesdropping. It would probably make it harder for her to open up to us as well.

Gently, I knocked on the wood.

"Asuka? Breakfast is ready."

Since I didn't get a response, I slowly opened the door.

"I'm coming in…" I murmured.

Stepping into the room, I noticed a mass hiding under a blanket, not moving.

Quietly, I walked towards the bed, nudged the mass that was my new adopted sister and spoke.

"Asuka. Wake up."

Again, no response. Carefully, I pulled on the blanket and revealed a sleeping Asuka, curled up into a fetal position. I watched as she breathed softly, her hair draped all over her face. She looked so peaceful that I had a half-mind to just leave her to sleep some more. But my dad was right, it wasn't good to be late for breakfast.

I nudged her on the shoulder once more.

This time, she seemed to stir. Half asleep, she tossed and turned on the bed, stretching and yawning. I felt weird, standing over her and watching as she tossed and turned in her sleep.

 _Should I really be here for this?_

After limbering up a bit, she pulled the covers back over her face and slept once more.

 _You've got to be kidding…_

"O-oi! Get up!"

Exasperated, I pulled at her covers forcefully and began shaking her awake.

That had gotten her attention. She opened her eyes halfway, her amber brown eyes met my dark grey. As if in a trance, she smiled at me and grabbed me into a tight embrace, which caused flashbacks of my dream to appear in my mind.

"Dad! You're back!" She said as she pressed her face into my chest.

Though I felt weird being called 'dad', I was grateful because it caused my mind to repress the flashbacks from my dream.

"Uh, no. Asuka I'm not your dad." I said, feeling awkard.

"Have you made up with mom yet?" She said, her embrace getting tighter.

Before she could say anything more personal and private, I grabbed her face to force her to stare into mine.

"H-hey, it's me, Hachiman." I said, trying to sound as soothing and friendly as possible.

Upon seeing my face, multiple emotions rushed through Asuka. Confusion, sudden realization, fear, and embarrassment. Then she pushed me away as she quickly backed up to a corner of the bed. I saw her eyes began to water.

"W-where's my dad? Where's my mom? Where am I?" She shot question after question at me, as she looked all over the place, panicking.

Like a zookeeper trying to calm an agitated animal, I raised my hands slowly, showing I meant no harm.

"Asuka, it's me, Hachiman. Don't you remember?" I said, not moving in order to not agitate her any further and trying my best to explain my presence to her.

She ignored my words as a sudden wave of realization surged through her face as she lost all emotion and whispered.

"Car crash…"

She looked at me, terrified and panicky, as her tears began to flow down her face.

"Dead…" She whispered.

"Asuka, calm down."

Hysterical, she threw the pillow at me she as she pulled her knees up to her chest and cupped her ears with her hands. She rocked herself back and forth as she broke down, remembering the events of the previous days. She closed her eyes as she started sobbing and whimpering.

Now it was my turn to panic. I had no idea how to deal with situations like this. Never have I had to deal with someone so distraught and so scared. I didn't want to bother dad with this so early in the morning so I wanted to do my best to calm her myself.

"P-please just go…" She said, her voice breaking as she shook her head.

Though I wanted to do as she said, I didn't think it was a good decision to do that, so I tried my best to make myself welcome in her presence. I slowly offered a concerned hand towards her.

"It's okay, Asuka…"

 _SMACK!_

She swatted my hand away as she collapsed on the bed and curled into a fetal position. She hid her face on the pillow as she began to shake.

"Please just go…" She repeated, her voice muffled by the pillow. "Please."

Though I really didn't want to leave her alone, I didn't think my prescence could make her any calmer. I began retreating from the bed and towards the door. I hesitated and stared at her with worry before exiting and closing the door behind me.

Perhaps yesterday the reality of her parents' deaths had not washed over her. After all, her reality had been flipped in just two days. People that were most dear to her had just vanished. Had suddenly left her alone. This was the first time I've ever seen a such a depressing sight, and deep down in my heart, I hoped it would be the last.

Without making a sound, I sat on the floor and leaned on the wood that separated the two of us. I listened helplessly as Asuka's sobs were barely audible through the door. I sat there several minutes, wondering what it was that I had to do to help her. Then a depressing thought washed over me.

 _What if there was nothing I could do to help her?_

* * *

"Where's Asuka?" Dad asked when he saw me reaching the bottom of the stairs and joining them at the table.

I hesitated for a millisecond before responding.

"… Still asleep."

Normally parents would get angry at you when you didn't accomplish a task they gave you. But my dad didn't get mad. He was the understanding type. He always thought that if Komachi or I couldn't do something he told us to, there was a good reason for it.

He chuckled as he stood up and patted me on the back

"Komachi is a light sleeper so you never had to endure waking up heavy sleepers. Asuka's probably just a heavy sleeper."

"I'll be right back." He added as he began making his way towards the stairs, and towards the crying Asuka.

I definitely didn't want dad to see her in such a terrible state. I also knew Asuka wouldn't want him to see her that way. That's why I knew I had to do my best to stop him from reaching her room.

"Eh? I think we should let her sleep in." I said, trying to sound as if I really didn't care.

Dad stopped and pondered my words for a bit. Then he shook his head and began ascending the steps.

"Like I said, not healthy to be late for breakfast!" He said as he began ascending the steps.

 _Crap!_

I stood up and made my way towards him. If worse comes to worse, I was going to physically block his way.

"She's probably tired from everything that happened yesterday though!" And in order to ensure he wouldn't ignore my words, I added a piece of information I otherwise did not want to use. "You know… With her parents…" Though I didn't want to touch the topic of his dead friend, it was the only way to at least make him stop moving.

True to my predictions, dad froze as I spoke those last three words. A dark expression swept across his face as he realized the situation.

"Y-you're right, Hachiman… I guess I should let her rest." Dad said as he retreated back towards the dining room, a sad expression on his face.

Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, I too returned to the table to eat my breakfast. We had dodged a bullet, but I didn't like the fact that I had to remind my dad of bad memories to do so.

 _Forgive me dad, but it had to be done._

* * *

Right after the three of us had finished eating breakfast, we heard the sound of soft footsteps descending the stairs. Shortly after that, we saw a wide awake Asuka bobbing down the stairs. She had tidied herself up, both physically and emotionally. Her bed hair was long gone, now her brown hair was smooth and wavy. There were no traces of tears or sadness on her face. It looked as if she really had just woken up and fixed herself before going downstairs.

She smiled widely as she joined us on the table, sitting beside my dad.

"Morning!" She said as she greeted each of us.

Her greeting to me was as normal and as similar as the ones she gave to dad and Komachi. Absolutely no sign of fluctuation. It felt like this was the first time we talked this morning.

I observed her as she began taking pieces of bread and spreading jam on them. She looked relaxed enough. Even her small talk with Komachi didn't seem forced or awkward at all.

"Hachiman, will you be joining us today?" Dad asked me suddenly, sipping his coffee.

"Eh?" I responded.

"Onii-chan! Didn't I tell you earlier? We're going to buy Asuka's stuff!" Komachi said, reaching over the table to slap me in the back.

I had forgotten Komachi told me about that I didn't want to go since I wanted to relax at home and read this online mangwa that was just updated recently… Besides, I don't think there's a point of me being there since Komachi and Dad were already going with Asuka. They were more than enough second opinion for furniture shopping and I have been told that my design sense was terrible.

But Asuka's expectant face begged to differ. Though she tried not to look, her gaze would land on me. She looked as if she wanted me to be there with them. Of course, I was just shooting in the dark, so I decided to test my hypothesis.

"Well, I was thinking of staying in and reading this recently updated mangwa…"

"Ehh…" Komachi said, slightly crestfallen.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Asuka look slightly crestfallen too. Her head drooped as she nibbled on a piece of bread.

"On second thoughts, there is this JRPG I've been meaning to buy." I added.

At this, both my sisters' eyes lit up. One verbally showed her joy by shaking my shoulder and bouncing in her seat. The other had simply smiled a millimeter larger as she continued chewing on her bread, this time with newfound energy.

Meanwhile, on the table, dads phone began ringing.

"Well, that settles it. We'll leave in an hour." He said as he took his phone to answer it in another room, privately.

* * *

Half an hour later, I sat in the living room, waiting for my three companions to get ready.

Don't you ever have those moments where you're so early that you think others are late? Like when you're meeting someone someplace so you get there earlier, then when they get there you get kinda pissed of since you were waiting a long while. But you really can't get pissed off since they literally arrived on the exact minute of the designated meeting time? No? Well, this was one of those moments for me.

I sat there on the couch, in my outdoor clothes as I fiddled through my phone. I didn't feel like playing any of the games on it so I just scrolled around and checked its functions. Flicking through the calendar, playing with the built-in flashlight, moving the camera about and whatnot.

Then I noticed that I had messages from Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, and Hiratsuka-sensei. _Uh oh…_ I had not bothered to check my inbox since the day before the funeral.

As I was about to check the messages, I saw Asuka walking towards me, wearing denim pants and a black t-shirt. On the shirt was the word 'Nirvana' in thick yellow paint and below it, with the same shade of yellow, was a large dead smiley face. Whoever had designed that shirt was definitely not a Buddhist.

She bit her lip as she quietly sat on the cushioned chair beside the couch.

I pocketed my phone, making a mental note to check my mail the first moment I get. Then I tried to break the awkward atmosphere that was slowly developing in the silence between us.

"That was fast." I blurted out. She had just gotten in the shower about fifteen minutes ago. In my opinion, it was a remarkable speed to get bathe, dry, and dress up, for a girl, that is.

She gave me a small smile as she nodded and stared at the ground.

 _Idiot! What kind of conversation starter was that!?_

This time, I opted to talk about something she could actually give a good reply to. In this case, I chose to talk about her attire. _Girls like talking about their clothes, right? Right? Anyone?_

"N-nice shirt."

Her brown eyes suddenly seemed to sparkle as I said those words. _Wow, so clothes talk really works huh?_

She looked at me excitedly and began to speak.

"Y-you've heard of Nirvana?"

I was taken aback by this question of hers.

"Yeah. Hasn't everyone?" It was probably in the curriculum of every school in the world so obviously everyone has heard of it. Except for those who didn't listen in class, that is.

She looked at me with respect and amazement.

"Sure they're crazy famous… But my classmates haven't heard of them."

 _They? Them?_ Hang on, I must've been missing something big because as I recall in history class, Nirvana was a state of being and not something that could be replaced by a plural pronoun.

Before I could ask her if we were on the same page, she had shot another question at me.

"What's your favorite song?"

This had confirmed things. We were d _efinitely_ not on the same page.

Before I could tell her I had no idea what she was talking about she continued on with her rant.

"I mean, I'm not going to say I don't like 'Teen Spirit' because it's their mainstream work and all…"

I'm sure I could've wrote an entire thesis on this "Nirvana" and their complete and best works if I had not interrupted her in the middle of her rant.

Now it was my turn to be shy because I was going to cut off her moment of opening up to me.

"A-asuka… What are you talking about?"

She shut up and looked at me, questioning.

"W-what? Nirvana… Right?"

I nodded at her quietly and continued.

"Uh huh… But what _kind_ of Nirvana?"

Her eyes grew wide as she stared at me with confusion.

"T-the band?" She asked. Then she hung her head as a sudden realization went through her.

She shook her head at me and asked in a small voice.

"Y-you don't know… Nirvana?"

It was my turn to shake my head.

"Not the band… No."

We sat there in silence for quite some time. Then suddenly Asuka cupped her face with her hands.

"Ehhhh! This is so embarrassing!" She said as she apologized over and over again for the miscommunication.

I shook my head and told her there was no reason to apologize. Though still looking embarrassed, she let me bring her back to the previous topic about this band called Nirvana.

"I thought… I mean… You complimented the shirt and all!" She said, blushing furiously.

"It's a nice shirt but I didn't know it was a band's logo!"

After that exchange we both sat in silence once more. Then suddenly we burst out laughing. It felt really good to laugh with her. It felt like I was laughing with a best friend about something wacky or stupid we had just done. I also liked the sound of her laugh, so honest, so happy, and no restraints. Like she was really laughing her heart out. I was glad she seemed so much more calm and open now.

After a while, our laughter died down and we both sat there, tired from all the laughing.

"Hey… Hachiman-kun?" She suddenly said with a more serious expression.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about this morning…" She gulped.

The image of her pushing me away and sobbing on her knees made the happy, bubbly feeling inside me pop and vanish.

"I-I don't know what got into me…" She continued apologetically.

I shook my head, and smiled at her reassuringly.

"It's fine… It must've been hard on you. These past few days."

She nodded apprehensively at that.

"Please don't tell dad…" Then she corrected herself. "Your dad, I mean."

Again, I shook my head.

"He's your dad now too. We may not be blood-related, but we're family now."

Though I saw in her eyes disbelief and uncertainty, she still nodded and smiled weakly at me.

"T-thank you, Hachiman-kun."

"You can call me onii-chan." I offered with a slight blush. I hoped letting her call me that would make her feel more at home. It would also be cute to have not one, but two sisters calling me a cute nickname. And besides, Asuka seemed like a great sister to have.

Though she nodded once more, she didn't call me 'onii-chan' right away.

Half an hour later, dad and Komachi were ready to go. They were both confused why Asuka and I seemed more relaxed and friendly towards one another. But they dismissed our odd behaviour and together we headed to the mall.

* * *

Never had I seen my dad shop so much and for so long. We went to dozens of furniture shops and bought a ton of clothes for Asuka's use in the span of one hour. I had to admit that though my dad didn't think of the fatigue one would feel on this trip, he had carefully thought of our route and time management during this shopping spree. It was tiring, but we covered so much ground in such short time.

After we had left the eigth clothes store, my dad walked up to me and handed me some cash.

"You and Asuka are probably tired, so here's some cash. You two should stay at a café and buy a drink or something." He said, eyeing Asuka, who was beginning to show signs of fatigue. Meaning she wasn't staring enough at the pretty clothes anymore.

I took the cash and thanked him. He patted me on the back as he whispered.

"Komachi's still got a lot of energy, so I'm taking her to buy Asuka a welcome present."

I stared at Komachi. Sure enough, she was still full of energy, as she oggled the dresses in front of shops.

"Don't tell Asuka though. We should make it a surprise." My dad said.

I nodded.

"Sure. I'll keep her busy."

He grinned at me and we rejoined the two girls. He took Komachi by the hand in an affectionate fatherly way and told Asuka that they were going to go check on some more furniture shops and that she and I should go somewhere and rest up.

Asuka smiled gratefully and bowed at dad as he led Komachi away to look at some other shops.

Once we were alone, she spoke.

"Your dad… Is he always like this? With shopping?"

I shook my head.

"No idea. I barely shop with him."

She giggled at that.

The crowd in the mall had began growing larger so before the restaurants and cafes could be filled, we decided to search for one to stay in.

Together we walked through mall, bustling with sound and movement.

"So, where do you want to stay?" I asked.

"A-anywhere you want."

"Nah. You pick."

Though she felt slightly dubious, she did stare at the surrounding cafes for a place to stay.

After a short while, she pointed to a large café with brick walls and a sign that looked elegant and prestine. Together we made our way to this café. I forgot exactly what the name of this café was, but it was something high class and French sounding.

A waitress wearing a coffee-colored uniform with a black apron happily welcomed led us to a table. Asuka and I sat opposite each other on the cushioned wooden seats. The café had a warm, golden glow around it. It gave off a relaxed atmosphere as well, which I think we both liked. There were quite a few customers too so it must mean the café was quite famous.

The waitress left us to check out the menu while she handled the other tables who were ready to order.

We looked through the menu, deciding on what drinks to order.

"Hey… Can we also order some cake?" Asuka requested.

I nodded approvingly. Even though we still hadn't eaten lunch, I was already hungry and all they had in the café was cake. I definitely did not want to move to another shop to buy a more fitting snack so I agreed and but let her pick the cake flavor. I was fine with any flavor anyhow.

A while later, the young waitress returned, and with a smile, asked us about our orders.

I ordered my and Asuka's drinks and also ordered two slices of their vanilla stawberry cake, which Asuka chose.

As the waitress was jotting down our orders, Asuka told her to change it to just one slice. I looked at her with confusion. _Weren't you the one who wanted cake?_

"I'll just have a bit. I heard their cakes here were delicious so I wanted to try one. I'm not really hungry." She explained meekly.

That actually made sense. It would've been a waste to buy two and only finish one. Sure, you could 'take out' the other slice but the freshness of it would've been long gone by the time you were hungry enough to eat it again. Since she just wanted to taste it, I could have most of the slice, since I was the one who was more hungry.

The waitress looked at me questioningly, trying to confirm the order change. I nodded and let her repeat our orders to us once more before she left for the kitchen.

I pondered why the waitress had wanted my confirmation. I glanced at all the other tables and realized they were mostly occupied by couples. _Ah…_

I looked at Asuka who was now preoccupied with rereading the menu for fun.

 _Do we look like a couple as well?_ Shaking those thoughts out of my head, I tried thinking about something else.

I saw her place the menu to the side as she ran a hand through her hair and straightened her Nirvana shirt.

Wanting to make conversation, I resumed our conversation about this band she liked so much.

"So you like Nirvana?"

She eyed me playfully and smirked.

"Are we talking about the band now?"

"Yes." I chuckled, remembering that embarassing miscommunication from earlier.

She laughed at that and began telling me about Nirvana, this 90s Grunge/Alternative Rock band from America. She told me about their huge success and all their amazing songs. And how she wished she could've watched them live.

"What's your favorite song?" I asked, legitimately curious. I would take note of that and listen to it later, and hope that I can understand Asuka more through her taste in music.

Her cheeks turned pink as she shook her head, totally embarrassed.

"I-I'd rather not say… It's inappropriate." She said, her blush increasing.

"C'mon. It can't be that bad." I said, urging her to say it. If she couldn't share just the title of her favorite song, how could she open up to us? Since I made it my mission to make her feel like family, it was up to me to crack her shell.

"I'll tell you but you have to promise you won't freak out!" She said, pointing a mock warning finger at me.

I promised her that if I freaked out, she could boss me around once for an entire day, any day she chooses. There was no way I was going to freak out over some song title.

Before she could speak, the waitress had returned with our drinks, a coffee for me and a chocolate milkshake for her. Then the waitress placed the single slice of cake between us, and placed two forks on the single plate.

I would've asked her to bring another extra plate so Asuka and I didn't have to share that one plate, but most of my attention was on Asuka.

"So, what's your favorite song?" I asked as I thanked the waitress for the food.

She averted her eyes shyly and became silent.

The waitress bowed to us, told us to enjoy our meal, and left us alone. As soon as she was out of earshot, Asuka stared at me shyly.

"Rape me…" She whispered.

The image of us kissing in my dream flashed before my eyes. Then, my mind, the wonderful creative organ it was, developed the image from kissing into a more intimate activit. I felt uncomfortable as all the color drain from my face. I shuddered and shook my head.

Asuka probably thought I would yelp in surprise or become confused in response to her statement. She probably didn't expect me to turn cold and quiet.

"Hachiman…kun?" She said as she looked at me with worry.

I blinked and did my best to act normal, though my body still felt cold. _Someone turn off the air conditioning, or turn up the thermostat!_

"Ehehe… What a weird title…" I managed to say.

She looked all the more worried at my response.

Then suddenly, I heard two other voices say my name. Two very familiar female voices.

"Hikki?"

"Hikigaya-kun?"

The scene that my mind was formulating popped and vanished as I stared at the two newcomers.

Yukinoshita and Yuigahama were standing in front of me, looking between me and Asuka, wondering what was going on.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Think of that first scene as a special gift from me for all you perverts out there. (jk) That was as much kinky stuff you guys are gonna see for a while. I really don't want it to turn this into one of those fanfictions. But if there are any kinky scenes, rest assured there's a reason for them being there. I'm not one of those writers who just shoves pairings into hentai scenes for people to fantasize about. (lol)

Also, I added a reference point in the story so that you all can tell at what point we are diverging from canon. In this case, it's around the time of their 2nd year summer vacation. I thought of following a lot of the anime/novel events but it just seems like a lot of work to write all the events down so I opted to make drastic changes in the story and relationships. Will you like it? I'm not sure, but I hope so. Think of it as my take on how the Oregairu series could've gone if 8man had a second sister.

Also, as an afterthought, why are there so many Filipino people here!? We should like do a meetup or something. xD

* * *

 **IMPORTANT: PLS READ**

I have decided to bring you readers into an important and story changing decision I will be making! This decision is: What age should Asuka be?

Honestly, I could have just chosen it myself, but since I'm really indecisive when it comes to such things, I thought it would be fun to hear your opinion on the matter, thus I have created a poll on my profile that you all can vote in.

So please, if you wish to participate in this poll, log into your account, head to my profile, and vote for your choice! The winning choice in the poll shall be used for the story.

This poll will be up until November 16, 2016. UTC 11:59 P. M.

I really wanted to give you guys the chance to choose what could happen in the story, so I hope you participate! :D

P. S. Making this a "Blind" poll just to make the result a surprise for all of you! :P

* * *

Follow Me On Twitter For Daily Updates On My Works!

 **RealPokuri**


	4. Announcement

**Announcement**

Hey, guys. Just wanted to let you know that I won't be able to post any new chapters until around mid-December. Personal matters have arised so I need to put those in priority.

But I do work on the fanfiction everyday. It's just that there are quite a few kinks I have to fix before I can really progress in continuing the story. Because the way I've been writing, I just wrote what I felt in the moment, but that proved to be not too great a method since I would unknowingly close doors in the pathing of the story. So before I post new chapters, I wanted to have some sort of outline for the plot and characters that way I'm not haphazardly running through the plot.

I really want to post a new chapter soon but I really can't do so at the moment with all these things on my plate. I don't really know if I should've actually updated this story with just this as a chapter. People probably felt let down. Pretty sure you saw this on the top of the page and eagerly clicked on it hoping to see what happens with the story. But I really wanted to address this topic to all of you in some way. So, sorry for not having any real content up for you.

Anyhow, I'll get back to you guys sometime in December. Hopefully I can do it early but if not, I'll try for a Christmas Eve update at the latest.

Also, thanks to everyone who voted! I closed the poll kinda late because I was sleeping. You can check out the results now. I'll be incorporating that into the story, so yeah. I hope you enjoy Asuka and Iroha being the same year level. :)

See you all on Christmas. 3


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